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Can anyone give a general price range on the Adequan? I hadn't heard of using it for dogs before and want to ask my vet about it.

We had started my elderly dachshund on Metacam, but then decided to try a Chinese herb blend, Herbsmith's Comfort Aches--http://www.herbsmithinc.com/Home/Canine/Herbs/ComfortAches/default.asp. I was skeptical, but it actually seems to help her a lot--she's been off it for two weeks while my local store gets a new shipment in, and I definitely notice her being stiffer and more uncomfortable without it, unless we use Metacam instead. If something cheap and not-NSAID works for now, I'd like to stay with that...

My mother-in-law's beagle has been on Rimadyl recently and it's helped him a lot, though.

Canine Adequan = 2 vials for $108.95 from SmartPak. Each vial is 5 mL - IIRC, my 85 lb Lab received 2 or 2.5mL per monthly IM injection. (his arthritis was so severe, we just did monthly injections. The manufacturer's recommendations are below.) Your vet can show you how & where to inject if you're comfortable with a needle & syringe.

Q: What is the recommended dosing and administration of Adequan® Canine?

A: The recommended dose of Adequan® Canine is 2mg/lb body weight (.02 mL/lb, or 1 mL per 50 lb), by intramuscular injection only, twice weekly for up to four weeks (maximum of 8 injections). Do not exceed the recommended dose or therapeutic regimen. Do not mix Adequan® Canine with any other drugs or solvents.

From reading your post, the cost of medication prescribed for your dog is the issue. I suggest discussing with your Vet the possibility of choosing another NSAID, and giving you a prescription to take to a local pharmacy.

I am currently taking Meloxicam (Metacam 15 mg) The pharmacy dispensed cost is about 40 cents per tablet. Tablets come in 7.5 mg as well. Tablets are easily divided. Depending on the size of your dog, ther may be a cost effective alternative. (pennies per day) Worth inquiring!

When I first started having arthritic problems joint supplements were helpful, but cannot compare with the comfort I experience when taking NSAID.

dog arthritis:
1) keep the dog very skinny- every excessive ounce is painful weight to carry around. Most, practically all dogs, are overweight in this country. If you can't easily feel, and possibly see (depends on coat) the ribs, the dog could stand to lose a few. Most vets will say your dog is fine even if the dog is a few pounds overweight so don't go by that. Thin enough a lot of people will hassle you about the dog being too thin- most people have never even seen a dog at proper weight, and think a dog in that weight class is being starved or something. Many older dogs also carry weight around their necks- they might look fine on the ribs, but do a neck-pinch as well to check if the fat there is weighting down your dog.
2) keep the dog active and fit- motion is lotion. Strong muscles support joints. The best kind of exercises for arthritic dogs are swimming, and yes, walking. Lots of it.
3) feed the dog an anti-inflammatory diet. This means high-protein, low-carb, with preferably something anti-inflammatory like sweet potatoes as the carb source- better would be a raw diet with no plant materials at all, but that can be very expensive, so a good kibble is acceptable. No corn, no wheat, no soy, no grains at all if possible; if not sweet potatoes, look for tapioca, rice, or white potatoes as acceptable sources.
Supplement with fish oil- you need a lot of fish oil for an athritic dog, making up around 3% of the diet by weight (weigh the dog's daily allotment of food, and calculate what 3% of it would be, and figure out how many fish oil caps to give each day).
4) try giving the dog oral joint supplements- a cocktail of glucosamine, chondrotins, MSM, and HA is best.

if the dog doesn't have marked relief in a few weeks on the above, move on:
5) try adding cetyl-M or durlactin to the supplements
6) try adequan injections

if that doesn't work, yes, feed your dog an NSAID like rimadyl or previcox. It might damage the dog's liver, but honestly, quality of life is so improved for many dogs on these that it's certainly worth the low risk.

For some joints, like the hips and elbows, joint replacement surgery is available.

I haven't used any meds for my 8yo Irish Wolfhound (advanced age for giant breeds) but I do use Nupro Joint & Immunity Supplement. And she can be a difficult beast to get right (allergies/sensitive tummy).

I buy the kind with the silver label, which includes Glucosamine (gold label does NOT have it). The stuff stinks like liver, but my dog is crazy about it. She's slowed down the past few days with all the snow and cold, but for the most part is in very good shape, normally able to trot along for miles, and even tear around (although then she's sorry afterwards).

You can buy it over the counter at pet food stores, but it's much more reasonable at Amazon.com. I think it's really helped keep her in overall excellent health and condition for her age. And yes, she also maintains a slender figure.

How can there be so many currents in such a little puddle? National Velvet

My very arthritic Lab is on a combo of Metacam and Adequan and does fairly well. I also recently got a pair of the Back on Track hock boots for dogs (his arthritis is in his hocks) and they really seem to be helping.

I actually tried my old boy on Pentosan. Helped him to feel like a new guy. He is also on Tramadol 2x a day. He isn't suppose to be here since the vet only gave him about a month to live , that was two years ago and he is doing very well for an old dog.

I have my ancient lab (she's 13) on Metacam after a scare about a month ago. She's a hundred times better! She is also doing laser therapy and that has been excellent for her. It also acts as a healing agent, not drugging them which is nice too.
The two combined have greatly increased her quality of life.
Yes NSAIDS can be hard on them but I figure she isn't going to be on them for years and years anyways.

dog arthritis:
1) keep the dog very skinny- every excessive ounce is painful weight to carry around. Most, practically all dogs, are overweight in this country. If you can't easily feel, and possibly see (depends on coat) the ribs, the dog could stand to lose a few. Most vets will say your dog is fine even if the dog is a few pounds overweight so don't go by that. Thin enough a lot of people will hassle you about the dog being too thin- most people have never even seen a dog at proper weight, and think a dog in that weight class is being starved or something. Many older dogs also carry weight around their necks- they might look fine on the ribs, but do a neck-pinch as well to check if the fat there is weighting down your dog.
2) keep the dog active and fit- motion is lotion. Strong muscles support joints. The best kind of exercises for arthritic dogs are swimming, and yes, walking. Lots of it.
3) feed the dog an anti-inflammatory diet. This means high-protein, low-carb, with preferably something anti-inflammatory like sweet potatoes as the carb source- better would be a raw diet with no plant materials at all, but that can be very expensive, so a good kibble is acceptable. No corn, no wheat, no soy, no grains at all if possible; if not sweet potatoes, look for tapioca, rice, or white potatoes as acceptable sources.
Supplement with fish oil- you need a lot of fish oil for an athritic dog, making up around 3% of the diet by weight (weigh the dog's daily allotment of food, and calculate what 3% of it would be, and figure out how many fish oil caps to give each day).
4) try giving the dog oral joint supplements- a cocktail of glucosamine, chondrotins, MSM, and HA is best.

if the dog doesn't have marked relief in a few weeks on the above, move on:
5) try adding cetyl-M or durlactin to the supplements
6) try adequan injections

if that doesn't work, yes, feed your dog an NSAID like rimadyl or previcox. It might damage the dog's liver, but honestly, quality of life is so improved for many dogs on these that it's certainly worth the low risk.

For some joints, like the hips and elbows, joint replacement surgery is available.

This is what I understand to be completely accurate in real life. I've had a 17 year old lab mix with severe arthritis who died of kidney failure and was on HA for it for 4 years before losing him. I do use my horse supplements for my dogs at lower levels and it has worked well as long as you also follow the above advice. Overweight dogs will never do well in old age no matter how many supplements.